Beyond the bilayer: multilayered hygroscopic actuation in pine cone scales
Citation Link: https://doi.org/10.15480/882.17464
Publikationstyp
Journal Article
Date Issued
2025-09-29
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Mylo, Max David
Masselter, Tom
Speck, Thomas
TORE-DOI
Volume
16
Start Page
1695
End Page
1710
Citation
Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology 16: 1695-1710 (2025)
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
Publisher
Beilstein-Institut zur Förderung der Chemischen Wissenschaften
The anisotropic hygroscopic behavior of pine cone scales and its effect on bending motion, with implications for bioinspired actuation, is investigated. Using gravimetric water uptake measurements, synchrotron radiation-based nano-holotomography, and digital volume correlation analysis, inter- and intra-tissue variations of hygroscopic swelling/shrinkage were observed. In addition, the moisture content of pine cone scale tissues was measured as a function of relative humidity. There were distinct differences between tissues and a pronounced hysteresis between sorption and desorption. Finite element analysis was performed on geometries ranging from simplified bilayer models to complex remodeled scales. Simulation results showed an underestimation of the bending of bilayer geometries due to an overestimated contribution of sclerenchyma fiber stiffness. Geometries with discrete fibers embedded in a brown tissue matrix more accurately reproduced the bending angles observed in experiments. This highlights the importance of the chosen material properties and tissue arrangements for predicting pine cone scale bending in silico. By contributing to a deeper understanding of pine cone scale biomechanics, these results also support the development of bioinspired technical applications. Future studies should refine tissue mechanical properties and integrate high-resolution computed tomography-based geometries to further elucidate the mechanisms underlying hygroscopic actuation. This integrative approach will bridge experimental findings with computational modeling and advance plant biomechanics and biomimetic transfer.
Subjects
digital volume correlation (DVC)
finite element analysis
hygroscopic bending
plant biomechanics
sorption measurements
DDC Class
570: Life Sciences, Biology
Publication version
publishedVersion